A lot of little girls go through a mermaid phase when they’re younger, and 8-year-old Aspen is no different. To celebrate her birthday, she wanted to do a photoshoot to make her wildest dreams of being a real-life Ariel come true. Thankfully, Desirae Deal of Desirae Deal Photography was there to do just that, and the best part is that Aspen’s dad Michael got in on the fun!
- Dad wasn’t originally going to be part of the photos. In fact, it wasn’t until Michael brought Aspen to the shoot that Desirae had the idea to get him involved. “I said, ‘Well, you know, I think I have a mermaid tail that he could wear,'” Deal, who hails from Lamar, Arkansas, told CafeMom. “It just went from there. Once she knew it was a possibility, there was no changing her mind.”
- Michael was more than happy to put on his mermaid tail. While many guys would be hesitant to don a shiny pink tail and a coconut shell bra to splash around in the water, that wasn’t the case with Michael. He knew that getting into the spirit would make his daughter happy and so he was more than into it. The resulting photoshoot was what Deal described as “the most fun session I’ve ever done.”
- Unsurprisingly, the photos went viral pretty quickly. Once Deal shared the session on her Facebook page, it wasn’t long before the likes and shares started racking up. Her post currently has more than 28,000 likes, 30,000 comments, and 158,000 shares. Pretty impressive!
- Deal hopes more people will become inspired to have fun with their kids like this. “The laughs, the joy, and the memories they created were the absolute best gift he could’ve gave her. I have no doubt that this story, this priceless memory, will be talked about and cherished for generations to come,” she wrote accompanying the photos. “Take the pictures. Play with them every chance you get, for they are only little for so long.” That’s so true!
- If you live in the Arkansas area, Deal is available for sessions. You can find out more about her offerings and get in touch via her Facebook page as well as her official website.
